Computer-Aided Engineering and Design Commons^™

Peltier-Based Hydration Accumulation Terminal (P.H.A.T.), Jenner Mucher, Ethan Pace, Renee Robolledo, Sabrina Luo, Taehoon Lee, Tarsem Pal

Mechanical Engineering

The objective of this project is to design an innovative potable water dispenser capable of safely delivering hot, ambient, and chilled water on demand for human lander missions. The system will support astronauts’ hydration and food rehydration needs while minimizing mass, power, maintenance, and contamination risks in microgravity and partial-gravity environments. Current spacecraft dispensers, such as the International Space Station (ISS) system, provide only heated water and have limited temperature control, cleaning accessibility, and microbial resilience. Building on NASA heritage designs and lessons learned from the ISS Potable Water Dispenser, this project advances a lighter, simpler, and more energy-efficient concept …

Cal Poly Fluid Powered Vehicle Challenge 2025/2026, Ethan Malachi Nejame Zeiset, Christian Anthony Cuamani, Daniel Chacon-Bizarro, Marcus Minera, Bradley Hansell

Mechanical Engineering

In this Final Design Report, the Cal Poly Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge Contending Team competed in Sun Hydraulics’ 2026 Fluid Powered Vehicle Challenge. The objective of the competition is to expose college students to the fluid power sector, the “hidden giant” of the engineering industry. Specifically, student teams are tasked with the development of a human-powered, fluid-driven vehicle for use in various competitive settings. The team prioritized the optimization of an existing prototype for simplicity, ease of maintenance, and reliability during the competition. The existing prototype exhibited issues related to the main frame’s deflection under load, a lack of gear …

Design And Development Of A 12-Degree-Of-Freedom Quadruped Robot, Kai De La Cruz

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, analysis, and experimental validation of a 12-degree-of-freedom (DOF) quadruped robot developed as a research platform for legged locomotion and control. The system builds upon the Cal Poly Legged Robotics Group’s prior 8-DOF quadruped, addressing key limitations in manipulability, load distribution, and mechanical robustness by introducing a 3-DOF leg architecture.

The mechanical design emphasizes lightweight construction, structural integrity, and modularity to support future research extensions. Static and dynamic loading models were developed to inform component sizing and material selection. A carbon-fiber chassis and redesigned leg assemblies were fabricated and validated through finite element analysis and physical …

Teleoperated Robotic Arm With Vision-Based Imitation Learning, Favour E. Emmanuel, Hunter J. Donahue

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report presents the design, development, and deployment of a teleoperated robotic arm system capable of vision-based imitation learning. The system uses a leader-follower architecture with myArm C650 and myArm M750 robots manufactured by Elephant Robotics. The leader arm movement is controlled by the operator, whereas the follower performs actions acquired from demonstrations. Data collection included synchronized joint-angle recording and multi- camera video streams capturing human demonstrations.

These demonstrations were processed with a deep learning imitation algorithm called Action Chunking with Transformers (ACT). The main capability of this algorithm is its ability to make future action predictions based solely on …

Optimized Returning Floating System (Orfs/Orfeus), Jordan A. Mcclelland, Adam J. Belluardo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

We are developing a proof-of-concept modified guitar tremolo system for an electric guitar that can automatically optimize tuning adjustments when a player transitions between tuning schemes using a cam system. Currently, changing tunings takes about 10–15 minutes because adjusting the tension on one string affects the tension of the others. Our design aims to compensate for these interactions and significantly reduce the time required to switch tunings.

Akron Soap Box Derby Super Kids Car, Alexis Schultz, Cooper Sites, Sean Stevenson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to redesign the All-American Soap Box Derby Super Kids vehicle to enhance safety, accessibility, and performance while maintaining full compliance with official regulations. The Super Kids program enables children with physical and cognitive disabilities to race alongside a co-pilot, but the current vehicle design presents challenges in stability, entry/exit accessibility, and control—especially following recent regulation changes that increased vehicle speed. The redesigned car will focus on improved ergonomics, lightweight construction, and structural integrity within a $1,000 budget and a 165 lb weight limit.

An iterative engineering design process will guide the project through research, CAD modeling, FEA …

Automated Soil Resetting System For Extraterrestrial Regolith Simulation, Parker W. Brennan, Anthony C. Daniels

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project focuses on designing an automated soil resetting system for extraterrestrial regolith simulation. The system will prepare a regolith simulant testbed to a desired, repeatable density, enabling reliable wheel–terrain testing for planetary rover research. Manual soil preparation currently exposes testers to hazardous particulates and produces inconsistent results.

The proposed system will integrate mechanical and control elements to reset the soil bed safely and efficiently. A combination of raking and vibrational methods will be explored, with feedback sensors and automation to achieve target density control. The research will proceed through literature review, benchtop experimentation, prototype design, and full-scale testing over …

Origami-Inspired Pneumatic Soft Robotic Gripper, Conor J. Schott

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design and evaluation of a vacuum-actuated, origami-based soft robotic gripper. A custom Sea Urchin crease pattern forms a lightweight folding skeleton that collapses radially under vacuum. The system emphasizes low cost and accessibility through laser cutting, 3D printing, and silicone molding. The Sea Urchin geometry was selected after digital and physical screening of candidate crease patterns for smooth folding, low strain concentration, and uniform inward motion. The folding skeleton is laser cut from 4 mil drafting film and folded into a compliant core. Four membrane configurations were developed: an origami gripper with a 36-inch balloon (Design …

Reconfigurable Python Autopilot Software For Rc Aircraft, Kate Doiron

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Developing Reduced Order Models For Gas Bubble Formation In Irradiated Metals Using Integrated Phase Field Modeling And Koopman Operator Theory, John M. Eggemeyer V

All Theses

Irradiation damage in materials is prevalent in nuclear components, posing significant risks in the safety and reliability of nuclear reactors. Phase field models offer a versatile framework for modeling irradiation damage in materials at mesoscales. Such high fidelity method has been used to model the formation of fission gas bubbles superlattice, a microstructure array occurs at certain irradiation conditions (dose, dose-rate, and temperature). To overcome the high computational cost of phase field modeling, Koopman operator theory is applied to create reduced order models, allowing for instantaneous simulations of fission gas bubble behaviors. These low fidelity models are integrated into machine …

Nonlinear Bump Stiffness Model And Its Effect On Structural Stiffness And Nonlinear Rotordynamic Characteristic Of Foil Bearing, Woongeon Lee

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Bump foils are the most widely used in foil bearings, but the behaviors of bump foils are complicated, and their characteristics have been a focus of research for decades. Bump foils are usually modeled as stiffness and damping are accounted for through interactions with shaft eccentricity, loading, shaft speed and excitation frequency. These nonlinear characteristics of the bump foil of radial foil bearings can be observed during both manufacturing and operational processes because of their inherent structural properties such as bump geometry, forming process, age-hardening process and complicated contact behavior with bearing housing. These nonlinear characteristics are one of the …

Multi-Objective Design Optimization Of Hypoid Geared Rotor Systems, Xinqi Wei

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Hypoid gears represent one of the most generalized and complex forms of gearing, widely used for power transmission of skew shafts in vehicles, aviation, and marine transmission applications. Optimizing their performance remains challenging due to the complex tooth surface and contact behavior. Specifically, the design parameters of the tooth surface are multi-scale, interdependent, and subject to strong constraints, leading to strong nonlinearity and an ill-conditioned Jacobian matrix in the parameter identification model. Moreover, feasible and insensitive contact conditions are difficult to constrain due to the inherent complexity of local conjugate contact between the meshing surfaces. These challenges significantly increase optimization …

Simulation-To-Hardware Validation Of Mpc For Binary Thruster 2d Cubesat Control, Aevar Amundinusarson Oefjoerd

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Small satellites must execute precise, fuel-limited maneuvers under strict actuation and operational constraints. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is a suitable approach because it optimizes future actions while explicitly enforcing these limits. This work evaluates (1) whether MPC can operate in real time using binary (on/off), asymmetric thrusters, and (2) whether a high-fidelity digital twin can be used to tune and validate the controller prior to hardware testing.

An MPC framework was implemented on a planar satellite prototype that floats on air bearings, operates at 16.7 Hz (60 ms period), and uses eight binary thrusters exhibiting up to 13.2% variation in …

A Computational Investigation Of Wood Selection For Acoustic Guitar, Jonah Osterhus

Senior Honors Theses

The acoustic guitar is a stringed instrument, often made of wood, that transduces vibrational energy of steel strings into coupled vibrations of the wood and acoustic pressure waves in the air. Variations in wood selection and instrument geometry have been shown to affect the timbre of the acoustic guitar. Computational methods were utilized to investigate the impact of material properties on acoustic performance. Sitka spruce was deemed the most suitable wood for guitar soundboards due to its acoustic characteristics, strength, and uniform aesthetic. Mahogany was deemed to be the best wood for the back and sides of the guitar body …

Experimental And Numerical Analysis Of Laminar And Transitional Flow Through Annular Corrugated Pipes, Joseph Russell Sargent

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents studies on pressure loss through annular corrugated pipes to determine a friction factor coefficient using nitrogen. Ten different corrugated pipes’ geometries were evaluated via testing and experimentation. The ratio of corrugation height to inner diameter varied from 0.233 to 0.333 and the ratio of corrugation pitch to inner diameter varied from 0.181 to 0.446. Nitrogen flow rates between 0.25 to 94.4 standard liters per minute were used, resulting in Reynolds numbers, based on the corrugated pipe inner diameter, from 100 to 23,000. The experimental set-up was validated using smooth-pipe pressure loss measurements and the derived friction factor …

3d Printed Drone (Body And Controls), Michael Dick, Hayden Pinkelman, Tanner Henderson, Logan Prince

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective is to build a scaled down model of a 3D printed drone capable of carrying a payload scalable to 50 lbs. for a wide array of applications. Some applications of the drone could include delivering support materials during natural disasters, such as foam to put out fire or medical aid packs to provide aid to injured people, food or package delivery, or military applications. The project has been split up into two groups. One group will be focusing on the propulsion aspect of the project, such as the electric motors and airfoil. Simultaneously, this group will design the …

Zips Racing Electric Brakes Design, Zachary Koneval, Andrew Thompson, Cory Baczkowski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Zips electric racing team is a collegiate team full of engineering students to make a formula electric car that competes against other universities and their cars. But before the cars make it to competition they go through a series of tests to make sure the car is able to perform in all of the actual competition stages. One of the tests for the cars is the brakes test. Where the car has to lock up all four wheels at once and stop in a square that is on the ground. So in this report we have detailed out our …

Experimentatal And Numerical Investigation Of Turbojet Engine Performance, Emissions, And Noise/Vibrations Using Jet-A And F24 Fuel, John W. Mcafee Jr

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Drastic improvement in cost effectiveness of high-power computing resources has generated a great interest numerical simulation to reduce the overhead cost of engine manufacturing, maintenance, and environmental concerns of engine testing. To accomplish this goal, this research presents the differences between military F24 fuel and commercial aviation fuel Jet-A from a thermochemical and engine performance perspective. This experimental data was used to create and validate a numerical model of the engine used in the experiments fueled with both Jet-A and F24 fuels. The experimental data was collected using a research based single stage turbojet engine outfitted with many sensors for …

Design, Testing And Neural Network Modeling Of A Low-Friction Wave Energy Converter Testbed, Vasu Bhardwaj

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Point absorber wave energy converters (WECs) transform water wave kinetic energy into other useful forms, typically electrical. While it’s possible to extract energy from passive WECs, more energy can be captured using active control where its power take-off (PTO) acts as both a generator and an actuator. Control strategies usually require accurate models often obtained during model-scale testing. Unfortunately, friction can dominate the dynamic response in small WEC models. A frictionless point absorber WEC testbed is described in this report which allows the researcher to focus on fundamental hydrodynamic behavior instead of friction. It uses air bearings for vertical motion …

Railroad Condition Monitoring Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing And Deep Learning Techniques, Md Arifur Rahman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Proper condition monitoring has been a major issue among railroad administrations since it might cause catastrophic dilemmas that lead to fatalities or damage to the infrastructure. Although various aspects of train safety have been conducted by scholars, in-motion monitoring detection of defect occurrence, cause, and severity is still a big concern. Hence extensive studies are still required to enhance the accuracy of inspection methods for railroad condition monitoring (CM). Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has been recognized as a promising method because of its sensing capabilities over long distances and for massive structures. As DAS produces large datasets, algorithms for precise …

Depressurization Characteristics Of Steam-Based Reciprocating Vacuum Pump, Hongling Deng

Dissertations

This dissertation introduces a novel vacuum technology that leverages low-pressure saturated steam and cooling-controlled condensation, offering an efficient way to utilize low-grade thermal energy sources like waste heat, steam, or solar energy. At the heart of this technology is a unique duo-chamber vacuum pump system, featuring a reciprocating piston and a heat-conductive wall, designed to generate a vacuum through steam-condensation and cooling processes.

The core of this research lies in developing and validating mechanistic models for the steam-condensation depressurization process, a complex phenomenon involving phase change and transport mechanisms. Prior to this work, these mechanisms were not sufficiently modeled or …

Modeling, Control, And Hardware Development Of A Thrust-Vector Coaxial Uav, Andrew North

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis introduces a unique thrust vector coaxial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configuration and presents a comprehensive investigation encompassing dynamics modeling, hardware design, and controller development. Using the Newton-Euler method, a dynamic model for the UAV is derived to gain in-depth insights into its fundamental flight characteristics. A simple thrust model is formulated and modified by comparing it with data obtained from vehicle testing. The feasibility of manufacturing such a vehicle is assessed through the development of a hardware prototype. Finally, a linear state feedback controller is designed and evaluated using the non-linear dynamics model. The results demonstrate successful validation …

Damage Identification In 3d Printed Metal Parts Using Deep Learning, Romaine Byfield, Alireza Modir, Ibrahim Tansel, Raniero Plaza

Florida Conference on Recent Advances in Robotics

An active Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) method called Surface Response to Excitation (SuRE), is used in this study to detect and quantify the damages created by a milling operation on additively manufactured metal plates. This method entails bonding two piezoelectric disks to the test specimens, one to excite it with surface waves from one end of the plate, and the other to sense the dynamic response to excitation at the other end. A sweep sine wave with a duration of 1 ms, ranging from 50-120 kHz is used as the excitation signal. Five stainless steel plates of identical size (195×54×2.5 …

Electromagnetically Actuated Modular Robots With Controlled Self-Assembly And On-Demand Disassembly, Anuruddha Bhattacharjee

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Modular reconfigurable robots, with on-demand assembly and disassembly, offer the possibility of mesoscale (milli- and microscale) manufacturing. However, most of the existing modular robotic platforms currently being designed and functionalized rely on complex actuation and assembly mechanisms and so lack further scalability and transformability required for mesoscale applications. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to develop a novel scalable modular robotic platform with controlled self-assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration techniques using an external electromagnetic field. While current cutting-edge research in this area uses a single magnet to move one module at a time into the target position, this dissertation explores processes to move …

Modeling, Simulation And Control Of Microrobots For The Microfactory., Zhong Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Future assembly technologies will involve higher levels of automation in order to satisfy increased microscale or nanoscale precision requirements. Traditionally, assembly using a top-down robotic approach has been well-studied and applied to the microelectronics and MEMS industries, but less so in nanotechnology. With the boom of nanotechnology since the 1990s, newly designed products with new materials, coatings, and nanoparticles are gradually entering everyone’s lives, while the industry has grown into a billion-dollar volume worldwide. Traditionally, nanotechnology products are assembled using bottom-up methods, such as self-assembly, rather than top-down robotic assembly. This is due to considerations of volume handling of large …

Mechanical Design Of A Microwave Imaging Device For Breast Cancer Detection In Mri Scanners, Grace M. Player

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This project seeks to develop an updated version of a microwave imaging device for use in conjunction with breast MRI, improving upon existing technology and developing novel concepts for the device. It posits three primary redesign targets for updating the previous system: resizing the system height, making the device more iteration- friendly, and improving the overall manufacturability of the device by replacing custom components with commercially available alternatives. All three of these redesign targets are met in the new design, V2.0. The height is reduced by reducing antenna travel and height, embedding some components, and shortening the tank wall, resulting …

Novelty Ice Cream Assembly Prototype, Mason Sylvester, Logan Williamson, Alvaro Martinez, Adin Gilman-Cohen

Mechanical Engineering

Cool Beans USA is a novelty ice cream startup company founded by Keith Zachow. In the winter of 2022, our team began working with Mr. Zachow to develop a machine to automate parts of the production process for his product. This product consists of two hemispherical ice-cream cone shell halves filled with soft serve ice cream and pressed together. The assembled pods are around the size and shape of a small walnut and are intended to be sold in stores as a frozen finger food. At the time of project inception, this product was in its early stages and was …

Baby Soothing Device, Grace Kalene Mekrut, Matteo Gozzini, Miles Angel Ibarra, Christian Joel Roberts

Mechanical Engineering

This document is the official final design review for the Baby Soothing Device. This product is intended to help families sleep throughout the night by allowing a baby to be soothed back to sleep without constant and direct parental interaction. It is maintained by Mechanical Engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for Dustin Yoder, the project sponsor. The purpose of this document is to present the design process from ideation to finished design in great enough detail that its manufacturing procedure may be replicated if desired. This document further explains all the research, testing, and benchmarks …

Multiple Heat Exchanger Cooling System For Automotive Applications – Design, Mathematical Modeling, And Experimental Observations, Zaker Syed

All Dissertations

The design of the automotive cooling systems has slowly evolved from engine-driven mechanical to computer-controlled electro-mechanical components. With the addition of computer-controlled variable speed actuators, cooling system architectures have been updated to maximize performance and efficiency. By switching from one large radiator to multiple smaller radiators with individual flow control valves, the heat rejection requirements may be precisely adjusted. The combination of computer regulated thermal management system should reduce power consumption while satisfying temperature control objectives. This research focuses on developing and analyzing a multi-radiator system architecture for implementation in ground transportation applications. The premise is to use a single …

Bbt Acoustic Alternative Top Bracing Cadd Data Set-Norev-2022jun28, Bill Hemphill

STEM Guitar Project’s BBT Acoustic Kit

This electronic document file set consists of an overview presentation (PDF-formatted) file and companion video (MP4) and CADD files (DWG & DXF) for laser cutting the ETSU-developed alternate top bracing designs and marking templates for the STEM Guitar Project’s BBT (OM-sized) standard acoustic guitar kit. The three (3) alternative BBT top bracing designs in this release are
(a) a one-piece base for the standard kit's (Martin-style) bracing,
(b) 277 Ladder-style bracing, and
(c) an X-braced fan-style bracing similar to traditional European or so-called 'classical' acoustic guitars.

The CADD data set for each of the three (3) top bracing designs includes …